The African Diamond Affair is a 1960 Felix the Cat cartoon and the 37th episode of the Felix the Cat (Joe Oriolo) series.
Felix is working as a detective again, working on a drawing of himself when he gets an overseas phone call from the African Diamond Company, located in the heart of Africa. The head of it says their diamonds are being stolen right out of their diamond field, which is guarded by an electric fence. He asks for Felix's help and tells him to take the next plane out. Felix grabs his Magic Bag and goes to the airport, but finds out there's no more planes headed for Africa today. Felix paces around for a moment, and then decides to use his bag as a plane, lighting firecrackers behind it and calling for the Air Traffic controller to clear the runway. Felix quickly takes off and quickly makes his way to Africa. Ahead of him, Professor and Rock are busy fishing diamonds out of the field from a fake palmtree near it, which is attached to a bike. They pedal forward, and continue fishing, with Professor using flypaper to get more diamonds, and Rock throws out a chunk of gold, seeing it as worthless compared to the diamonds. Just then, Felix arrives in Africa and turns his Magic Bag into a parachute, drifting down to the ground. Felix lands safely, shrinks his Magic Bag down to fit in his pocket, and begins searching. He doesn't go far before finding a car, which tows a safe full of diamonds. Felix hides in the safe just as Professor and Rock show up to drop off their load. Felix pops out to arrest Professor, but he sicks Rock on him, who ties up Felix in the flypaper from earlier.
Rock swings the tied up Felix away, who gets stuck on a palmtree, while Professor and Rock get back to stealing diamonds, but Professor warns him to be careful around the electrified fence. At the palmtree, Felix is getting hot from the sun, which ends up causing the flypaper to melt and peel off the tree. Felix breaks free, but suddenly gets his tail bit by a lion. Felix runs for it, with the lions false teeth clinging to his tail. He frees himself as the teeth chatter, much to the lions annoyance. Felix climbs up a giraffe, but slides back down in and into the Professor's car, which he hijacks and drives up to the crooks, who are still at the fence fishing. Felix honks the horn, which startles them and sends their tree reeling out of control. The tree collides right into the electric fence, which causes it to explode and propel Professor and Rock into the air. They land inside the safe they intended for their diamonds, and Felix slams it shut. Felix gets two diamond rings on his fingers and laughs as the cartoon irises out.
Tropes:
- Blooper: In some shots, Professor and Rock's palmtree is clearly inside the fence and fishing for diamonds, when it's supposed to be on the outside.
- Failed a Spot Check: The owner of the diamond field failed to notice the clearly fake palmtree located near the fields electric fence, which allows Professor and Rock to fish diamonds out of it.
- Shout-Out: While fishing for diamonds, Rock Bottom says "Diamonds is rock's best friend!"
- Thinking Tic: When he's told there's no planes going to Africa, Felix does his thinking walk to figure out how to get there.
